Israel Exchange Targets Synthetics With “Natural Is Real” Slogan

April 8, 2014byRob Bates

The Israel Diamond Exchange has launched a new slogan, “Natural Is Real,” which takes clear aim at the emerging threat from synthetic diamonds.

The slogan, unveiled for its U.S. & International Diamond Week, taking place this week at the Ramat Gan–based bourse, is a “clear message that Israel’s diamond trade is all about natural diamonds,” said IDE president Shmuel Schnitzer in a statement.

This is not the first time the Israeli industry has taken action against lab-grown diamonds. In late 2013, the IDE board banned them from the trading floor.

“The IDE trading floor is the most active and vibrant bourse floor in the world,” Schnitzer said. “At any time of the day there are hundreds of members working there, and we felt synthetic diamonds have no business being on the IDE floor.”

Schnitzer said they can still be traded in the rest of the diamond exchange complex.

He added the “Natural Is Real” slogan is also a play on the word Israel.